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Brave Combo
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Brave Combo's Bio:

"We saw new dances like `The Freeze" and `The Achy Breaky" spreading like an epidemic in country dance halls+" the members of Brave Combo write in the liner notes to their new album+ <I>Group Dance Epidemic</I>. "Then terpsichorean plague struck--`The Macarena." No one was spared+ not even the vice president of the United States." Does Brave Combo+ the polka-rock band from Texas+ object to these developments? No+ they love it. They are fervent evangelists for the democratizing and uplifting values of group dances+ no matter how corny (plus it gives them more work). Thus the album features a dozen songs that have been dance-floor-tested for group participation+ and the CD booklet comes with dance instructions for each.<p> "The Freeze+" "The Achy Breaky+" and "The Macarena" are not included+ but Van McCoy"s disco classic+ "The Hustle+" is. Most of the others belong to an earlier age when dancers bent their knees and backs to do the "Limbo Rock+" flapped their elbows to the "Chicken Dance+" shuffled their soles to the "Mexican Hat Dance+" and waved their hands over their heads for "The Hokey Pokey." This is not the sort of album you"ll want to sit around and listen to+ but if you"re having friends over to the house and you"re afraid they"re going to talk about the federal budget+ you might want to put this on.<p> Because Brave Combo is a bohemian band from Austin+ these songs have two layers. At the forefront of the mix+ the tune and beat are strong and clear+ but in the background+ secondary beats and jazzy embellishments are complicating things. The band"s approach is reflected in their notes for "The Bunny Hop:" "Cute dance for children or modern fertility rite? That"s the same thing+ isn"t it? This version features an Aboriginal dronepipe (the didgeridoo) and quotations from <I>Peter Cottontail</I> and Duke Ellington"s `Cottontail."" <I>--Geoffrey Himes</I>
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Brave Combo's Albums
Dallas Observer - Scene Heard Volume 3: Even More and Unreleased Tracks
Rounder Subcompact Disc&#43; Volume 3
Holidays!
Holidays

Brave Combo Album Editorial:
Welcome to the world of holidays squeezed through the mesh of the Brave Combo sifter. We turned everything into a lumpy powder and mixed it well I hope. So no matter what youre celebrating Brave Combo music is almost always appropriate. Raise your glass and salute the groundhog playing spin the dreidel with his valentine the Easter bunny. Have fun. Stop worrying so much. Carl Finch Brave Combo
Let&quot;s Kiss
Box Of Ghosts
Allumettes
It&quot;s Christmas Man
No No No Cha Cha Cha
Kick-Ass Polkas
All Wound Up! A Family Music Party

Brave Combo Album Editorial:
Parents and their kids may know Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer as the award-winning prolific songwriting duo for kids. But who are these Brave Combo guys that Fink and Marxer are hanging out with on IAll Wound Up: A Family Music Party? The Denton Texas band who make some of the most danceable party music around specialize in polkas a host of Mexican and Latin dance styles plus an occasional Middle Eastern flavor or three. Theyre well traveled musically speaking with a host of critically praised albums and a legion of fans. Throw the Combo together with Fink and Marxer and you get the whole enchilada: essential traditional and freshly original party tunes (plus the new and incendiary calypso number I Will Never Clean Up My Room). Your junior constituents will repeat The Mockingbird Polka penned by Fink and Marxer and the old Harry Belafonte tune Turn the World Around so often that youll dream them in your sleep. As if that werent enough reason to join the party who could resist a disc that highlights a salsa version of Chopsticks and Funiculi Funicula the classic ode to joy that belongs in the world view of every girl and boy? A delight through and through. Martin Keller
The Process

Brave Combo Album Editorial:
Everyones favorite Texas polka tricksters are back still having fun after 21 years on the job and with an ever-expanding but still joyous vision of music. Theres the usual hilarity--Foreigners Double Vision presented as slinky tea-dance music--but also plenty of seriousness and musical ability. The band ventures very confidently into the bolero-ison arena with My Tears Are Nothing a piece that could do justice to Buena Vista Social Club and intelligent pop (which is not an oxymoron) on For Me. Of course it simply wouldnt be a Brave Combo album without Isome polka and that gets served up particularly well on Golden Opportunity and Why Oh Why. But with ventures into RB and Tex-Mex not to mention one very warped easy listening instrumental theres something wonderful for almost everyone all wonderfully played--its always worth noting that these guys are great instrumentalists. Call it music for smiling. Chris Nickson
Polkasonic
Hokey Pokey
Polka Party with Brave Combo: Live and Wild!
Group Dance Epidemic

Brave Combo Album Editorial:
We saw new dances like `The Freeze and `The Achy Breaky spreading like an epidemic in country dance halls the members of Brave Combo write in the liner notes to their new album IGroup Dance Epidemic. Then terpsichorean plague struck--`The Macarena. No one was spared not even the vice president of the United States. Does Brave Combo the polka-rock band from Texas object to these developments? No they love it. They are fervent evangelists for the democratizing and uplifting values of group dances no matter how corny (plus it gives them more work). Thus the album features a dozen songs that have been dance-floor-tested for group participation and the CD booklet comes with dance instructions for each.p The Freeze The Achy Breaky and The Macarena are not included but Van McCoys disco classic The Hustle is. Most of the others belong to an earlier age when dancers bent their knees and backs to do the Limbo Rock flapped their elbows to the Chicken Dance shuffled their soles to the Mexican Hat Dance and waved their hands over their heads for The Hokey Pokey. This is not the sort of album youll want to sit around and listen to but if youre having friends over to the house and youre afraid theyre going to talk about the federal budget you might want to put this on.p Because Brave Combo is a bohemian band from Austin these songs have two layers. At the forefront of the mix the tune and beat are strong and clear but in the background secondary beats and jazzy embellishments are complicating things. The bands approach is reflected in their notes for The Bunny Hop: Cute dance for children or modern fertility rite? Thats the same thing isnt it? This version features an Aboriginal dronepipe (the didgeridoo) and quotations from IPeter Cottontail and Duke Ellingtons `Cottontail. Geoffrey Himes
Mood Swing Music
Kiss of Fire
Polkas for a Gloomy World

Brave Combo Album Editorial:
IPolka for a Gloomy World begins with Hosa Dyna an old European polka taken at a breakneck tempo. Near the end of the song accordionist Carl Finch the Brave Combo major-domo shouts out Rock it boys! And the rest of the band does just that proving once again that the ancient 2/4 Bohemian dance doesnt have to be a sleepy shuffle reserved for elderly aunts at wedding receptions. This album proves the polka can be every bit as invigorating as a Cajun two-step another dance music rescued from wedding-reception hell. Because Brave Combo is based in Texas--the nexus where German and Czech immigrants passed the polka and its favorite weapons the squeezebox and the saxophone to the local Mexican immigrants--the band draws on both the Old World and New World versions of the music both Eddie Blazonczyks Polka Chips Polka and Los Cuatros Tejanos de Montereys Eloinas Marbles. In addition to the half dozen traditional European polkas Finch has written Flying Saucer an oompah tribute to UFOs and has added new words to the well-worn polka standard In Heaven There Is No Beer. Over Barnes revved-up clarinet figure Finch bellows that not only is there no beer in heaven but there is no sex or drugs either so we might as well enjoy ourselves here. And Brave Combo plows through the song as if theres no tomorrow. IGeoffrey Himes
No&#43; No&#43; No&#43; Cha Cha Cha
It&quot;s Christmas&#43; Man!

Brave Combo Album Editorial:
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays are not just empty sayings when Brave Combo are around. IIts Christmas Man! is a merry romp through traditional and not-so-traditional holiday fare. O Christmas Tree is done as a drum heavy samba The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) skanks in as a ska tune and The Little Drummer Boy has obviously been hanging out in Cuba. There are polka waltz and icumbia versions of classic carols and a Hanukkah Ihora (circle dance) as well. Brave Combo have penned five new tunes for this release which are sure to become seasonal favorites. This is a fun recording featuring accordion sax clarinet guitars bass drums and vocals in a mostly lighthearted set of inspired silliness. The occasional serious song like Ave Maria is treated with the respect it deserves without being allowed to bog down in maudlin sappiness. The 15 songs on this CD make it a generous gift of spirited music. Jeff Grubb
A Night on Earth

Brave Combo Album Editorial:
Ostensibly Brave Combo is a Texas polka band but of course things are not always what they seem. BC is equally at home with cumbia tango Japanese pop and Balkan beats exploding out of a song like circus clowns from a car. IA Night On Earth includes one of their best and funniest songs Do Something Different a Midwest-style polka complete with a rollicking horn section and an uproarious set of lyrics delivered in hoarse call and response. Theres a cha-cha-cha from the Broadway show IPajama Game (Hey there you with the stars in your eyes) and the classic schmaltz tango Jealousy delivered totally straight with tongue firmly in cheek. For a band with a dozen records to their credit this one is definitely in their top three. Louis Gibson
Humansville
Polkatharsis
Musical Varieties

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